Company Overview

Universal Group is a manufacturer and marketer of personal grooming products located in Los Angeles, California.

Our primary business is the manufacturing and distribution of men’s and women’s shaving products that are marketed under the Old Spice and Noxzema brand names. We maintain a licensing agreement with The Procter & Gamble Company, which allows us specific rights to use these two highly recognized consumer brands. We also market specialty personal care implements in the professional beauty channel under the b beauté brand.

Our Old Spice and Noxzema shaving products include razors, bikini shaving products, shave gels & shave creams that are sold in the following classes of trade: Food, Drug, Mass Merchandisers and Dollar Stores.

Universal Group is a subsidiary of KAI USA, Ltd., a leading manufacturer and distributor of knives located near Portland, Oregon. KAI USA’s brands include Kershaw Sporting Knives and Shun Kitchen Knives. KAI USA, Ltd. is a subsidiary of The KAI Group of Gifu, Japan. Backed by a tradition of almost 100 years of technological excellence, KAI makes cutting tools and related products that in terms of functionality, sharpness and durability rank among the best of their kind in the world. The company manufactures and supplies over 10,000 products including knives, razors and personal care implements to people throughout the world. KAI manufactures and supplies all of Universal Group’s disposable razors and specialty beauty implements.

Company History

Universal Group was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Our company started out as a Private Label manufacturer that featured a broad range of razor products.

Our relationship with The Procter & Gamble Company began in 1999 when the first licensing agreement between the companies was signed. In September of that year, Universal Group launched the Noxzema line of shaving products. In January 2001, Universal Group entered into a licensing agreement with P&G to use the Old Spice brand for shaving products. We eventually sold our Private Label razor business in June 2002. We then launched the Old Spice High Endurance line of shaving products in February 2003.

In February 2004, KAI USA, Ltd. purchased 50% ownership of Universal Group. Later that year, in August, we launched the world’s first 4-Blade Disposable Razor under the Old Spice and Noxzema brands.

Spring 2005 marked the launch of the b beauté implement line. This brand of premium beauty instruments was ergonomically engineered and designed using premium Japanese technology to set a new standard in implements.

In December 2006, KAI USA, Ltd. acquired the remaining 50% interest in Universal Group. Under the terms of the agreement, Universal Group was assigned a new Board of Directors led by Koji Endo, CEO of The KAI Group.

Operations

Product Development

Universal Group’s product development process is led by our General Manager, who has over 30 years background in the consumer products industry, plus a lead marketing consultant, who has over 35 years experience in the industry, including 20 years with Procter & Gamble Beauty Care. We are able to tap into our worldwide network of suppliers to secure the most modern technology and revolutionary ideas available and bring them to market. Universal Group has a very impressive track record of successfully bringing innovative new products to the consumer. Besides b beaute, our other innovative product launches include the Noxzema Bikini franchise with razors and anti-irritant creams & sprays, Noxzema Eyebrow Shaper and the world’s first 4-Blade disposable razor.

The product development process is founded on fact based research and creative design. This information is merged with a talented creative team and management expertise, which yields a continuous stream of exciting new products. This process has been finely tuned over time and is prepared to meet the challenges of the future.

The KAI Group, with its extensive Research & Development resources, plays a key role in the development of our disposable razors and specialty beauty implements. Meanwhile, leading manufacturers in the industry, all of which have been approved by Procter & Gamble, supply new product development in the “liquid” segments of our business such as shave gels and shave creams. We utilize the same exacting standards that we use for our razors in our development process for these types of products.

Manufacturing

Thanks to the resources of KAI, Universal Group is able to leverage leading edge Japanese technology and superior quality in shaving products, personal care implements and fine cutting instruments. This enables us to continually bring new advancements and improvements in shaving products and personal care implements to market.

Universal Group also has the resources to develop products in a wide range of personal care categories on a global basis. We have established relationships with liquid fillers that manufacture every type of product available in the retail store. These resources allow Universal Group to be proactive and facilitate speed to market, which is a clear advantage for us when competing against larger companies.